This invention relates to a hooking device for a safety barrier. It will find in particular its application for forming a continuous rampart around a forbidden zone.
The utilization of safety barriers is largely in general use nowadays in order to surround dangerous zone not authorized to the public. The safety barriers are disposed one after another and hooked together so as to form a continuous rampart.
The safety barriers are generally made up of a plane tubular frame having a series of inner longitudinal small bars. The whole is mounted on feet which thus assure an equilibrium to the barrier.
The hooking fashion utilized for joining the barriers is very varied. We know for instance the utilization of a simple hook placed on one of the posts of the barrier when the other post is provided with a ring. Thus, the barriers can be successively hooked one after another, each of the hooks of a barrier fitting into the rings of the next barrier.
It is in question a rudimentary hooking device which does not give satisfaction from the fact that it does not exist no bolting of the assembly. Thus, the barriers can be separated one among the other accidentally, only by raising one from them with respect to its neighbour. As very often they play a part of rampart with regard to a danger, such a possibility of separation is unacceptable.
So, the constructors have proposed various hooking devices which possess moreover a bolting of the assembly.
Thus, we know safety barriers provided with a frame whose one of the posts is formed like a rectangular flat having a weak thickness. Likewise, the other post of the safety barrier is fitted with a split ring whose the opening of the slit appreciably corresponds to the aforesaid flat thickness. The introduction of the post provided with a flat into the split ring only can consequently be realized according to a certain angular position with respect to the slit, and as soon as the flat is introduced into the split ring, it is possible again to pivot the barriers which were just hooked without being possible to disconnect them unless again they retake the angular orientation of unbolting, i.e. when the weak thickness of the flat corresponds with the opening of the ring slit.
With this type of barrier, the bolting is always present except for a determinate angular position. It is the matter of a handicap which can be particularly proven cumbersome when for instance the barriers are utililized as an angle at a street corner. Indeed, it may be possible that the angular position which must be adopted to follow the profile of the obstacle, precisely corresponds to the angular position of unbolting of the barriers, in which case they can not actively play their safety part.
In order to mitigate this drawback certain constructors have utilized split rings whose the slit is inclined with respect to the longitudinal direction of the barrier. With this type of barrier, the bolting is realized regardless the angular orientation adopted for two joined barriers.
On the other hand, since the unbolting, just as the disconnecting are realized when a barrier is inclined with respect to the other, this configuration can be encountered when, for instance, the barriers are disposed on a ground whose the declivity varies. Indeed, the alignment of the barriers in the longitudinal direction being no more encountered owing to the modifications of the ground slope, it will be encountered, for a given inclination, two consecutive barriers having no more the bolting essential to the safety of the whole.
Consequently, amid the different hooking devices at the present time offer on the market by the constructors, no one is not entirely satisfying since, according to the nature of the utilisation of the safety barriers, certain among them would not have no bolting.
By another way, the choice of an intricate bolting appealing or utilizing removable components such as bolts can not be contemplated in the application of safety barriers because a second primordial factor in their utilisation rests in the mounting and dismounting facility. Indeed, it is in question removable barriers often provisionally put in position and it is essential that the mounting and dismounting time be very short.